Former Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan explained how he protects his psyche by completely avoiding online discussions and subreddits about Blizzard's hero shooter.
If you’re a die-hard Overwatch player, you’re likely familiar with the name Jeff Kaplan. He was essentially the face of the game for years, endearing fans with his regular developer updates and memorable interactions with its fanbase.
After leaving Blizzard in 2021, Kaplan founded his own game development studio and is currently working on an open world, action-survival shooter called The Legend of California. He has firmly put Overwatch behind him — to the point where he avoids interacting with it at all costs online.
“With Overwatch, I had a very almost clinical separation, knowing how the WoW thing had gone,” Kaplan said in a recent interview with GameSpot. “I’ve literally not played the game since April 2021.
“I don’t, for my own psyche, I don’t read the subreddits. After I said my goodbye to competitive Overwatch and the Overwatch subreddit, I never go back and read. I don’t watch YouTube [videos]. I don’t search for my name in Overwatch. I don’t search for Overwatch. I sort of just disconnect. I actually tell all the algorithms like, ‘Yeah, I’m not really interested in Overwatch anymore. I know you think I’m the Overwatch guy, but like, that’s just not for me anymore.'”
He told the outlet that it was surprisingly more painful for him to leave the World of Warcraft team to work on Overwatch than it was to put the hero shooter in his rear view, calling it a “training moment” for taking the next step in his career.
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